The invention relates to a device for holding a belt in place.
In the design of women""s fashions, one approach is to consider a number of vertically stacked color panels, each panel being like a canvas upon which designs of color and fabric may be assembled. For example, an upper panel would correspond to a space where a blouse may be designed and a lower panel would correspond to a space where a skirt or pants may be designed. An accessory, such as a belt, may unite two such panels. If this is done, then it is important that the belt be held in place in a way that does not detract from the overall optical effect created in the stacked fashion panels. Wide belts can form panels alone, providing optical contrast between upper and lower panels.
Unfortunately, traditional belt loops, while serving well to hold a belt in place, detract from the horizontal sweep of fashion panels. An object of the invention was to devise a substantially invisible belt holder, serving to guide and retain a belt in a desired position between fashion panels yet, which is hardly seen and therefore cannot detract from optical effects between upper and lower fashion panels.
Another object of the invention was to provide a moveable and removable belt guide.
The above object has been met with a belt guide that clips to articles of clothing, which the belt is worn over and which is hardly visible when clipped. The belt guide has a first portion, which serves as a clip or fastener to the article of clothing and a second portion, which serves to retain the belt in a desired location. The two portions are joined at upper regions, with the second portion being cantilevered outwardly, preventing the belt from moving.
The belt guide may include various types of fasteners to grip and release an article of clothing. The fastening portion of the belt guide may include flaps forming a slot therebetween, the flaps being inwardly biased to securely grip an article of clothing and exhibiting outward flexure to release the article of clothing. In another embodiment, a clamp is positioned to urge flaps inwardly to securely grip the article of clothing and the clamp is removed to release the grip on the article of clothing. In an alternative embodiment, flaps are hinged or pivoted to form and release a secure grip on the article of clothing. A lever may be actuated to position an array of teeth into a slot formed between flaps, and actuated to position the teeth away from the slot. In another embodiment a lever is used to actuate a movable plate into contact with a stationary plate so that the article of clothing can be gripped in between the plates.
The portion of the belt guide that serves to retain the belt in desired locations may comprise a flanged or looped portion extending outwardly from one of the flaps or plates of the chosen fastener.